Earlier this year, a cruise ship carrying Americans from Argentina toward Antarctica became the center of attention after a hantavirus case was detected on board. Health officials quickly pointed out that the actual danger to the general public remains minimal, but they also emphasized the importanc
Top food safety leader at the U. S. medical watchdog has just quit. That means long-planned rules about junk food, school meals, and toxic chemicals may never happen. For years, the food industry knew this person as the one pushing for stricter rules on snacks, drinks, and baby food. Officials had
A recent cruise ship disaster shows how diseases can travel in surprising ways. Three people died and others got sick from hantavirus during a trip from Argentina to the Cape Verde islands. The outbreak started on a ship sailing through one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Antarctica isn’t
The world’s population is aging quickly, and governments worry about what that means for public health. One big concern is mobility – the ability to move around freely. Once people start having trouble walking or standing, their quality of life drops fast. Researchers believe catching these problems
A health warning about possible listeria in headcheese landed in Illinois homes recently. The product, made byone meat processor, was pulled from store shelves weeks ago. Authorities believe some families may still have it tucked in their freezers. Tests found listeria in an unopened package of the
The World Health Organization’s chief stepped onto Tenerife to calm locals about a cruise ship carrying more than 140 people that had a hantavirus case on board. He reminded the islanders that this situation is not like COVID‑19 and that the risk of spread remains low. No one on the vessel was showi
Flathead Lake is famous for its clear water, and that clarity comes from careful choices made by people over many years. Those decisions were based on old knowledge, modern science and solid rules, because once water gets dirty it is hard to clean up again. Even though more people are moving into t
Alaska is getting ready for a new kind of weather warning. Normally, people think of wild winds or heavy snow when they hear weather alerts. But now, forecasters will also issue heat advisories for Anchorage and parts of southern Alaska as temperatures climb higher than usual. The change is partly
A warning has gone out about harmful blue-green algae in a stretch of the Caloosahatchee River near the Sebastian Canal. Tiny bacteria that normally live in Florida’s freshwater have multiplied rapidly, creating visible blooms that can produce toxins. These blooms often look like thick green paint,
In many places where money is tight, people often eat a lot of meat. But they may not know how germs can jump from animals to humans when the food isn’t handled right. A new study looked at what people in Burkina Faso think and do about these risks. The researchers talked to shoppers who buy meat.
